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(No Model.) r 3 Sheets- Sheet 1 H. SMITH.

SEWING MACHINE. No; 532,344.

Patented Jan. 8, 1895.

010 Model. 3 Sheets-Sheet ,2.

E H. SMITH. SEWING MACHINE.

No. 532,344. Patefited Jm 8 189 5..

INVENTDR WITNESSES 5 co mu'ro-umcuwAsnmomn u c t e e h S m e. e h S 3 inTm .Mm .M .G m HE S a? d 0 M 0 W No. 532,344. Patented Jan. 8, I895.

INVENTUB m w 2 m m C H Y r I. -L w. a. k M n q .1 n w E F I l l I I a xl I I I I IL M u 1 \WW/ m .1 m w r L WITNESSES:

flea (41 UNH D TATE'S PATENT Cirricn.

EARLE IIFSMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,344., dated January8, 1895.

Application filed September 4, 1889. Seria11il'o.323,011. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARLE H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, whereof thefollowing is a specification.

The improvements relate especially to lockstitch sewing machines of theclass which employ a rotary threadcarrying loop-taker, by which is meanta revolving shuttle or hook that rotates around a stationary bobbinretained therein, that is, a bobbin having no motion except to pay offthread for each stitch as the sewing progresses.

The invention is applicable in machines for both wax-thread anddry-thread sewing; and embraces a special adaptation of variable motionsfor a rotary shuttle, to admit the use of an awl actuated by meansindependent of the needle-operating mechanism. The shape and structureof the parts will vary with the work for which the machine is designed.

To illustrate the invention I have shown the same herein as developedin'a form of machine using an eye-pointed-needle; but the improvementsalso apply in other forms, and in machines which use the circularlycurved as well as in those using the straight needle and awl.

Referring to'the annexed drawings, Figure 1, is a side elevation of saidmachine. Fig. 2, is a rear elevation as with the balance wheel removed.Fig. 3, is a face view of the bracket arm head. Fig. 4, illustrates thepitman connections. Fig. 5, is a diagram indicating a modifiedarrangement of the pitman connection. Fig. 6, is a diagram of pitmanlever motions. Fig. 7, indicates uniform speed of the main shaft. Fig.8, is a diagram to show differential speed of the shuttle. Fig. 9, is aplan view from Fig. 1, as with the bracket arm cut 0E on a line with theWork-plate. Fig. 1 0, shows the awl-carrier as seen from the front. Fig.11, is a reversed view and Fig. 12 a top view of the same. Fig. 13, is adiagram of feed motion connections. Fig. 14:, shows face of the awl-camand cam groove therein (scale of Fig. 1). Fig. 15, shows (onlarged) thevariable motion device or coupling connecting the lower shafts. Fig. 16,is a modification of such coupling. Fig. 17, is a diagram illustratingthe rotary and variable motion connections for the rotary shuttle asapplied to the style of machine using a circularly curved needle. Figs.18 to 20 are diagrams illustrating the movement of the pitman connectionand Figs. 18 to 20 are diagrams showing the corresponding motions of theneedle driving crank and the needle bar.

A, is the bed-plate or frame, on which is secured the work-table A, andthe bracketarm B and its post B; the arm-head carrying a presser-footand foot-bar D, D and needlebar, E.

O, is the revolving main shaft, having its bearings in the bracket-arm,and therefore above the work-table, AT. The needle-bar is reciprocatedfrom this shaft by a crank disk 0, at the front end thereof. At therear, said shaft has a crank H (or eccentric) from which rotary motionis transmitted to the prime shaft J, below, which shaft is mounted instandards L, L on the bed-plate A. A stout standard M furnishes thebearings for a short shaft, (dotted) from which the loop -taker isrotated. Such loop-taker, for the purposes of the machine I amdescribing, is a circular shuttle, properly adapted to carryshuttlethread on an ordinary bobbin retained therein in any usualmanner, such loop-taker havinga nose or hook to take the loop from theneodle, and propelled in one direction by a suitable shuttle-driver (0).Means are arranged on the opposite side of the work from the shuttlesplace for manipulating the needlethread, delivering the same to anddrawing it from off the loop-taker in consonance with the motionsthereof, here consisting of a lever F, termed a thread-lever. In theco-operation of the needle, shuttle, and thread-lever, the shuttle byits rotary motion takes the loop from the needle, distends it-androtates through it, whereby the interlock of the neodle and shuttlethreads by the shuttle, is effected by its rotary motio a distinguishedfrom the to-and-fr'o flight of a reciprocating shuttle; and the loop ofneedle-thread with whichthe shuttle-thread has been n rlocked isimmediately drawn from the shuttle and fully closed up, and the stitchcompleted, by

the thread-lever, before another loop is takenfrom the needle. Thethread-lever F is pivoted to the arm B near the outer end, and

,front end of the shaft.

Rotary motion is communicated from the main shaft 0 to the shaft J by apitman connection. Such pitman connection is here represented by apitman-lever Q,- fulcru'med between the ends. The upper end of thispitman embraces the crank 11 of the driving shaft 0 and the lower endconnects as by a link S, with the crank a, of the lower or prime shaftJ, whereby this shaft is rotated from the continuously-rotating drivingshaft. The loop-taker is operated mediately from the shaft 0, and ishence rotated in one direction only. It has a variably acceleratedmotion which is derived from two variable speed devices. Both are onlyneeded, however, when the invention is applied to use in a machine usingan awl.. One of these devices is a differential coupling, shown assituated between shaft J, and the loop-taker shaft. The other resides ina certain arran gement of the relative position of the shaft J as to thelower and of the pitman lever, Q,

I and the connection from one to the other.

When the crank H, of the shaft 0 imparts rotary motion to the pitmanlever at its upper end, the lower end thereof describes an irregularorbit or path. If the lower end of the pitman be arranged relatively toshaft J so as to bring such path substantially concentric to the axis ofsaid shaft, (see dotted line in diagram Fig. 5,) the movement receivedby the latter is approximately uniform; in which case the principal fastand slow movements of the loop-taker will come from the differentialcoupling device aforesaid.

In Figs. 4 and 6, the lower end of the pitman is disposed relatively tothe axis of the shaft J so as to bring this orbit into eccentricrelation to the axis of shaft J, by which eccentricity the pitmanimparts to said shaft and the loop-taker the accelerated motion commonto variably rotated shuttles at the time of passing the bobbin throughthe loop. The motion of the needle is also quickened and slowed inconjunction with thequick and slow motions of the shuttle; and the fastand slow motions of the one, are made to occur in reverse order withrespect to the other. The means of imparting such varying movement tothe needle, as shown. herein, is by a link Z from the crank disk 0 tothe needle-bar. link is made as short aspracticable. The upper endreceives the crank of disk 0 and it is attached by the lower end to theneedle'bar. As thus arranged the motion received by the needle is muchthe slowest when out of the Work, (when the crank is moving over theupper half of its circuit,) while the ascending and descending motion ofthe needle when entering and leaving the work, is quick. An analogousplan for conveying motion to the Said needle-bar, and superior in somesituations, consists in a lever connected to the needlebar and pivotedto one side of the arm head, said lever having an upwardly arching camslot therein, which is traversed by the needle driving crank o as shownin my patent, No.

473,894, of April 26, 1892.

The pitman Q is shown as having its fulcrum on a radius bar R. Thusarranged, the movement of said fulcrum is in an arc governed by theradius-bar. The eccentric relation of the pitman Q to shaft J, beforementioned, is shown as obtained byproperly locating the pivoted end ofthe radius-bar on the arm-post B (see dotted position of pivot 17, Fig.6); and when the pitman Q is arranged as described and hasrits irregularpath set eccentrically to shaft J, as aforesaid, that shaft receivesfrom the pitman a duplex variable motion. r

The operation of the pitman-lever is illustrated partly by Figs. 1, 4,and 6; and also by diagrams 18, 18, 19,19", 20, 20, which diagramsindicate the comparative motions of the pitman-lever, and those of theneedle, as if seen from the rear end of the machine. Assuming the partsQ, a, S, to occupy about the position seen in Fig. 4, the main shaft 0being revolved, when said parts arrive in a position indicated bydiagram Figs. 18, 18,

with the needle well in the work, the lower end of the pitman-levermoving in its irregular orbit briefly quicken-s the motion of shaft J,at the time when the needle is rising to form the loop for the shuttlepoint to enter.

In diagram Figs. 6., 19, and 19, the pitmanlever by its irregular orbitmomentarily retards the motion of shaft J (and hence of the shuttle),the needle at the same time being quickly drawn out of the work. Afterthis takes place the motion of the shaft J, is, rapidly accelerated asthe lower end of the pitman passes near the axis of said shaft, (Diagram20)., This acceleration continues during the period in which the shuttleis passing through the loop. At the same time the needle is receivingits slowest motion (being virtually dormant) While its operating crankis traversing part of the upper half of its circuit (Diagram 20). Afterthe aforesaid principal acceleration of the shuttle, there follows aninterval of slow motionthereof continuing until the pitman connectionsarrive at and pass the position denoted by Fig. 4, as first abovementioned, during which time the needle is descending with a quickmotion and entering the work, to begin a new stitch, as before, when thesame operations are repeated, and so on. The increment of speed of shaftJ, when accelerated, over that of shaft 0, is noted by comparing theshort distance made by the crank H of the main shaft in going from theposition of Diagram 19 to that of 20 with the longer space passed overby the crank Ct on the shaft J, in going from the position shown inDiagram 19 to that shown in Diagram 20.

For wax thread sewing, additional time is' needed, in which to operatean awl to puncture the work for the next stitch, after each stitch iscomplete, and before the needle again enters the work. For this purposeI cause an intensified acceleration of the shuttles rotary motion inorder to gain such additional time. \Vith this object the acceleratedmovement derived from the pitman-lever, is united with that of thedifferential coupling before mentioned, so that both take place at thesame time. Said coupling is variously made. A well known structure isdescribed in Patent No. 124,360, of 1872. The plan here adopted shown inFigs. 1 and 15, consists in placing the axes of-the shaft J and theloop-taker shaft in different parallels, providing each with crank pins(see dotted lines in Fig. 15) and connecting the cranks by a link I. Oneof the crank pins is in a disk on the shaft J and the other is in a likedisk or crank on the loop-taker shaft, the circuits of the two cranksbeing thus eccentric to each other. Fig. 16

. shows an alternative wherein a radial groove formed-in face of onecrank receives the crank pin of the opposite one.

In uniting the variable motions from two different sources, both actingat the same time as aforesaid, I secure a cumulative efiect, wherein themotion of said two variable speed mechanismsis compounded; the higherspeed part of the revolution of shaft .I, derived from the pitman leveras aforesaid, being superadded to that of the said differentialcoupling, and said speeding of both takes place during the period whenthe shuttle'is' passing through the loop, whereby the accelerated motionof the shuttle is augmented. In this way the shuttle gets the combinedeffect of two speeding mechanisms at once.

The compound or augmented speed 'of the shuttle, is appreciated bycomparing the uniform speed of the main shaft seen in dia-' gram Fig. 7,indicating the positions successively taken by the needle driving crankc in one revolution of the main shaft, with the corresponding positionsoccupied by the point of the shuttle (diagram Fig. 8) at the same momentof time, as-shown by the same numeral marked on each, thus O, 60, 120,&c.

From this it will be seen that in the shuttles motion the entire onehundred and eighty degrees, on half its circuit, is made while the mainshaft C, rotating at a uniform speed, is preferably movingover aboutsixty degrees, or say in one'sixth of its revolution. As a result, thereremains a long interval of time succeeding the accelerated motion ineach revolution of the shuttle, when its motion is virtually dormant, inwhich interval the pull-up action of the thread-lever drawing up theentire loop of needle-thread, the puncturing operation of the awl, andthe feedmotion, take place, (the needle being now above the work andmoving slowly,) the thread lever finishing the stitch in advance of theoperation of the awl and before anotheristitchis begun. The awl forpuncturing the work, in wax thread sewing, is'arranged to. reciprocatein the same plane with the needle, and the shuttle point is at the frontface thereof having its path in a plane parallel to the needle and awl.The awl is operated by mechanism separate and independent and as hereshown, from the side of the'work opposite to that where the needleenters.

In Figs. 1, 10, 11, and 12, N, indicates the awl, fixed in a carrier T.The latter is situated under the work-table in front of the shuttle, andhas a large space or opening through which the shuttle may bereplenished with thread. For advancing or feeding the work, the awl orneedle, or other device may be employed. In this instanceI make use ofthe awl.

In its puncturing action, the awl is caused to move at all times inprecise alignment with the needle. This is indispensable, especiallywhere it is used for feeding;.because such awl must always be withdrawnfrom the work precisely in the same line with the path of the needle,and not have any swinging motion, in order to insure the needle enteringand following the perforation made by the awl. To provide this, the awlcarrierT is arranged to move vertically in ways on the inside face ofthe frame U, (see reverse view Fig. 12,) which frame in turn is fittedto move horizontally at right angles to the needles path, for whichpurpose the frame has Wings D, adapted to slidein horizontal ways formedin standards W. The puncturing action of the awl is derived from a camgroove (Fig. 14), in the face of cam 1' part of the balance wheel N. Abar V divided-at the upper end, carries a roller e, that enters said camgroove. The lower extremity is jointed to an arm X, made fast to therear end of a rock shaft Y, having at the front end a similar arm Z,that"reaches the awl-carrier from behind, and engages the same by a pinentering a slot in the lower stile thereof. In its feeding action theawl is moved bodily with the lateral motion of the carrier frame U. Thelateral motion is shown as derived from a cam N on shaft 0, which actson a lever E At the lower end this lever is connected by a rod h andpivotfito an arm 9 fixed on the rear end of a rock-shaft Y the samehaving affixed thereto at the front end an arm X that reaches up andengages this frame U, by a pin. See Figs. 1, 9, 10, and 13. The cam Ngives the forward motion to this frame, a spring as E, Fig. 10, throwingit back; and cams I and N are arranged on the main shaft, to cause theawl to move upward and forward for the feeding operation during the slowmotion of the needle when out of the work. A thumb-screw and collar onthe pivotf, allows of the adjustment of the pivot at different heightsin a slot in arm 9, whereby to alter ICO the back throw of the awlcarrier frame, and...

the awl and needle are in line. The same means is applicable in likemanner for adj usting the awl to the needle, if the machine beconstructed to feed the work with the needle instead of an awl.

In the operation of the needle and awl it is the practice (especially insewing the Welt s of shoes), not to force the awl entirely through, butto leave a portion of the puncture to be completedby the needle;wherefore the needle is in all cases a piercing needle, having but asingle point.

By the terms rotary, rotating, rotary motion used herein, is meant thatsuch mo tion is always forward, and never backward or oscillating.

The herein rotary shuttle improvements are applicable to machines havinga crotchet or a circularly curved needle, as seen in Patent No. 356,935and others; for illustration of which Fig. 17 is a diagram of themachine shown in Patent No. 369,563, in which diagram, the pitman-leverQ, and connections, are shown as applied to drive a rotary shuttle insuch circular needle machine.

In theforegoing improvements I do not restrict myself to specificdetails, but shall vary the same within the invention as circumstancesrequire while adhering to a rotary loop-taker which completes the stitchin connection with a needle and a thread-lever, substantially ashereinbefore described, and without the use of a reciprocating shuttleas seen in Patent No. 272,740, of 1883.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the needle,mechanism for operating the same, the rotating shuttle or loop-takerco-operatin g with the needle, and continuous rotary motion mechanismconstructed and arranged for imparting to the loop-taker a duplexvariable motion, whereby the loop takers motion is accelerated andretarded twice in each revolution.

2. The combination with a' needle, and mechanism for operating the same,of a rotary shuttle, and mechanism constructed and arranged for rotatingthe shuttle with an augmented accelerated motion, such mechanismcomprising two speeding devices arranged to co-operate, whereby suchaccelerated motion is augmented when the shuttle is passing through theloop.

3. The combination of a rotary shuttle or loop-taker, the loop-takershaft, the needle and needle-bar, the needle-actuating shaft carrying acrank to operate the needle, means between said need le crank andneedle-bar imparting variable motion to the needle and arranged to givethe slowest motion to the neodle when out of the work, a thread leveroperated by a cam on the needle shaft during the said slowest motion ofthe needle, and rotary-motion mechanism connected with said needle shaftand said loop-taker shaft and communicating a variable motion to thelooptaker, so that it has a quick motion when passing through the loop,said quick motion taking place during the said slowest motion work, saidprime shaft, a rotating shuttle or loop-taker, and rotary motion deviceswhich impart fast and slow motions to the loop-taker from said crank H,such variable motions arranged to occur in reverse order to those of theneedle as specified so that the quickest motion of the loop-taker takesplace when it is passing through the loop and during said slowest motionof the needle, in combination with a feeding instrument and cam-movedmechanism constructed and arranged for causing said feedinginstrument toengage and advance the work during the said slowest motion of theneedle.

5. In combination, the rotary needle shaft 0 above the work, theneedle-bar operated therefrom by a crank and link, the latter attachedto the needle-bar by its lower end, the

thread lever-atthe front end of said shaft 6. The combination of a mainshaft rotating, uniformly, a needle, a rotating shuttle, and an awl topuncture the work for the needle, of accelerative mechanism constructedand arrangedto drive the shuttle through one hundred and eighty degreesof its circuit within a space of about sixty degrees of the as setforth.

7. The combination of a single .pointed piercing needle, means forreciprocating the same, an awl, a thread-carrying loop-taker, means foractuating the awl independent of the means from which the motion of theneedle is derived, mechanism for revolving said looptaker in onedirection only, and means for drawing the loop therefrom and fullyclosing up the same before taking another loop from the needle.

8. The combination of a needle, an awl, a rotary shuttle, means forreciprocating the needle and awl, independently, and mechanism adaptedfor rotating the shuttle with a varying speed while driving the same inone direction only and means for drawing up and finishing each stitchbefore another is begun.

I. 15 main shafts uniform revolution, substantially 9. The combinationof a needle, an awl, a rotary shuttle, and a thread lever, working incooperation, with accelerative mechanism constructed for causing thesaid shuttle to rotate with augmented speed through one hundred andeighty degrees of its revolution and thereafter be retarded, and withcam moved devices which cause the thread lever and the awl to performtheir office of puncturing the work, and of drawing in the stitch,during such retarded motion of the shuttle.

10. The combination of a rotary shuttle, a puncturing awl andreciprocating needle, means for separately operating theneedle and awl,mechanism imparting an accelerated rotary motion to the shuttle, athread lever, and a cam moving such lever to co-operate with the shuttlein delivering needle thread thereto, and drawing it back to finish thestitch, in advance of the operation of the awl.

11. The combination with a circular shuttle and shuttle race, a needle,and an awl, ar-

ranged for cooperation, of the awl-carrier disposed in front of theshuttle, and such awl carrier having a space or opening through which toreplenish the shuttle with thread.

12. The combination of a needle and needle-carrier moving vertically, acircular shuttle moving in a circular race disposed in a plane parallelwith the needle, an awl-carrier moving in the same plane with the needlein Witnesses:

JONATHAN MARSHALL, GEORGE CHECKETTS.

EARLE H. SMITH. i

